After about two years of waiting, Turkish Cypriots trying to trade across the Green Line will finally get licences to transport their goods over by truck, in the face of stiff resistance from Greek Cypriot truckers, who are threatening strike action.
Government Spokesman George Lillikas said the government decided to grant Turkish Cypriots the licences, as part of “measures to facilitate commercial transactions between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots”.
Green Line trade was supposed to start in 2003 but only finally got under way in the second half of 2004. Since then, trade across the Green Line has been meagre, around CYP 1 mln per year, not least because of a host of bureaucractic obstacles.
Any obstacle to Green Line trade creates political problems for the government, which has been trying to argue that Turkish Cypriots do not need to export from the unrecognised port of Famagusta to the EU because they can do it via the Green Line instead.
Lillikas said that the interests of professional Greek Cypriot truck drivers will not be affected by granting Turkish Cypriots licence to transport their cargo to the free areas.
“Our view remains that commercial, cultural or any other transactions or contacts between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots may help and contribute to developing common interests and understanding and also create the necessary climate to help our efforts to solve the Cyprus problem and reunite our country”, the Spokesman said.
He also said the government considers “exaggerated and unjustified any reaction”, noting that granting licences allows Turkish Cypriot truck drivers the ability to transport their cargo from the occupied to the free areas to Greek Cypriot traders or to the ports and airports for export”.
Lillikas assured that the licences “do not grant Turkish Cypriots the ability to become active in the free areas therefore no one’s interests are being impinged”.
The Spokesman said the shop owners association POVEK was informed by the President of the Republic’s Diplomatic Office on the issue while the relevant House committee was notified.
“For this reason, any conflict should cease and cooperation be secured,” he concluded.
